Bastard Priest
Under the hammer of destruction
Blood Harvest
There has been an increase in the retro death metal style in recent years; new bands strive to create an old sound while old bands relinquish their new sound and attempt to revert back to the halcyon days of death metal. Stockholm's Bastard Priest fall under the first category and are one of the few out there who actually sound properly old-school in every manner. Some may say they emulate the Swedish output of the late-'80s, but it seems to me there's something in there that's more akin to an amalgam of the likes of "Scream bloody gore", "Consuming impulse", and "Morbid visions" with a hefty nod towards their fellow countrymen from back in the day. There's a definite attitude on here that was only ever really captured in the Swedish death metal explosion of the late-'80s and there is, without doubt, the definite punk influence that also permeated the scene back then. Definitely one of the best retro bands around today and so authentic that I almost find myself surprised to come out of the listening experience and find that it's not 1989.
- John Norby
